My daughter, Aliyah
by daughterofpercabeth417
Summary: It has been fifteen years since Jace and Clary lost their daughter, and nine since Jace lost Clary. The night of what would've been their daughter's fifteenth birthday, a young girl is found during a demon hunt with no known origin or story. She holds a dark secret, one that could ruin everything. Will this be Jace's second chance? Or will he, again, be too late? (old name: Rowan)
1. Chapter 1

**OH MY GOSH! Guys, I am ****_finally_**** back! I am so sorry it took so long for me to get this out. I have literally been almost done with this for the longest time! But it's here now! Alright, enough of my rambling. Enjoy the chapter!**

Jace was running. He didn't know he could run as fast as he was, not until that moment. Not until he needed to.

By the angel, how he wished he didn't need to.

But he didn't know what else to do. He refused to just stand by and watch, not when people were screaming and running and hurrying frantically from one place or person to the next.

Jace watched Clary out of the corner of his eye as she ran along beside him. She looked as afraid as he felt, and rightfully so. After all, who wouldn't be terrified if almost an entire city was all running in the same direction? A direction that brought you closer to your worst nightmare.

Jace's stomach knotted once he finally realized, without a doubt, where everyone was running to. Despite how far away they were, they could still see the destruction growing before them: everything was on fire. Smoke and ashes surrounded them like a sheet of black saran wrap, making it hard to see even five feet in front of them.

Moving was a whole other issue in itself. While Jace and Clary were trying to push closing toward the fire to see what had happened, everyone else was trying to get away. It was like swimming against a very large, very powerful tide.

Jace nearly ran into Clary when she stopped suddenly in front of him. You couldn't read the name anymore; it was too burnt. Still, Jace knew what it used to say and he was sure Clary did too. He didn't think she'd have hesitated if she didn't.

"Clary, I –"

Before Jace could finish his sentence, Clary ran forward into the fire. Jace scrambled after her, determined to not lose her in the smoke.

"Clary!" Jace shouted after her. "Clary, what are you doing? It's not safe! Think about this!"

Clary whipped around. "Are you serious? I am thinking about this! I'm thinking that I'm not going to just sit back and hope someone saves our daughter from burning to death."

Jace grabbed Clary's shoulders. "I know, Clary. I don't want to lose her either. But if you just run in head first without thinking, you'll die too! And I can't lose both of you."

"I am thinking, Jace. Just trust me."

Clary pulled her stele from her back pocket and crouched down. Jace watched as she drew an Elemental Shield of Fire rune on the floor. Within seconds, the fire grew. Jace shielded his face from the flames until the fire vanished suddenly.

Jace started to laugh. "By the angel, Clary. You're amazing..." Jace's voice trailed off as he realized Clary was no longer in front of him.

"Clary? Clary, where did you go?" Jace shouted, looking around the room. She seemed to have vanished completely. "Hey, Clare, it's not funny. Where are you?"

Part of Jace knew it as stupid to worry. Clary is a Shadowhunter, Jace told himself. She can take care of herself. Still, a bad feeling had settled in his gut about the whole thing.

A baby's cry pulled Jace's focus. When he turned around, he saw Clary in an oversized t-shirt. It was his t-shirt; it reached her knees. She was holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms and standing over a small crib.

"Hi, Jace," Clary said quietly. "Don't be too loud. I finally got her to fall asleep."

Jace was confused. He didn't understand was he was seeing. There was no way Clary could have changed from charred clothes in a burning building to holding their daughter in her pajamas in only a single moment. It wasn't possible.

"Jace?" Clary asked worriedly. "Are you okay? You look like something's wrong. Is something bothering you?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Jace reassured her, but he knew she could tell he was lying. She could always tell. He didn't want to worry her though. She was already so tired, what with being a new mother and all.

Clary smiled at him. "I know you, Jace. It's okay if something's wrong. You can talk to me, no matter how tired you think –"

Clary's voice fell short suddenly. She must have seen the fear plastered across Jace's face.

Whatever was in that crib was not their baby.

Jace started running toward her, desperate to not let the demon rising out of the crib lay a hand on her. He couldn't move fast enough, though. It felt like he was running through quicksand.

"Clary, move!" Jace shouted. To his surprise, she didn't. Instead, she just stood there, smiling at him knowingly. She seemed oddly at ease, even though there was no way she couldn't have noticed the fear and panic written across his face.

A feeling of dread knotted itself into Jace's stomach as he realized why Clary's expression seemed so familiar. He'd seen it before. Déjà vu is the term mundanes use, he believed. It was a weird concept, in Jace's opinion: feeling as though you've been through something before if though you never have.

Except for this time, Jace had.

It suddenly dawned on him as to why Clary's expression felt so familiar. It wasn't some weird mundane concept; Jace had seen it before. In fact, he'd seen everything before. The fire, the crib, the demon currently pulling its arm – or at least what seemed like an arm – back, preparing to strike.

As Jace ran toward Clary, the painful realization hit him that he wouldn't reach her in time. Despite the adrenaline running through him helping him to increase his speed, the demon was still closer.

It would always be closer.

No matter how many times Jace replayed that day – no, those days – over in his head, the outcome was always the same.

Jace cried out when the demon pierced Clary's back, stabbing deep enough to reach her heart. Clary's eyes widened, whether in shock or in pain, Jace didn't know. He wasn't sure he wanted to, selfish as it was. He couldn't bear the thought of knowing she was in pain because of him, because he couldn't reach her in time.

Jace stumbled to his knees and pulled her fallen, bloodied body close to him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated over and over to her.

Crying softly, Jace adjusted Clary's body. "I love you, Clary. I'm so sorry."

Jace gave her one last kiss goodbye. The moment their lips met, he felt Clary's body rustle. Jace pulled back and watched as Clary shifted in his arms as if waking up after sleeping for a long time.

"Jace?" Clary asked, voice raspy.

A choked sound left Jace's mouth, like a cross between a laugh and a sob. "Yes, Clary. It's me. By the angel, Clary. I love you so much. Never do that to me again," Jace said, his face now buried in her hair.

"I won't," Clary replied. Something in her tone made him uneasy. She didn't sound like herself. It was as though someone else was speaking through her. Something darker.

Jace sat up instantly. Instead of being met by Clary's bright green eyes, he was met by blackness.

Jace shot up into a sitting position. Despite being in only a pair of boxers, he was sweating and out of breath. Running a hand through his hair, Jace looked at the clock next to him: 3:14.

"Fantastic," Jace muttered. The last thing he needed today was to be even more on edge from exhaustion.

Jace quietly stood up and threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He padded over to the door and opened it, only to find a tired-looking Alec sitting across the hall.

"You didn't have to come, you know," Jace told him. It was a lie, though. Jace was glad he was here.

Alec gave him a sympathetic look. "You shouldn't be alone, Jace. Not today."

Jace reached out a hand and pulled Alec up from the floor. They stood there silently, just staring at each other for a moment. Jace didn't need to say anything. He never did. Alec always just knew.

In an instant, the _parabatai's_ arms were around each other. Despite it being muffled, Alec could still hear Jace's sobs. And he could feel them, too. He could always feel everything Jace felt.

"I miss them so much," Jace whispered. "I failed them."

Alec didn't know what to say. They had been having the same conversation for almost sixteen years. No matter what Alec said, Jace always turned it – and sometimes even him – away.

"Come on," Alec said, pulling Jace back into his bedroom. "You're no good to anyone if you're falling asleep tomorrow."

Alec helped Jace back into bed. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a quiet voice say, "Wait."

Alec remembered hearing Jace say that in the same exact way years ago. When they were younger, Jace would wake up almost every night from a nightmare, especially when he first arrived at the Institute. After they became _parabatai_, Alec would wake up at what seemed to be random times throughout the night. He finally realized that he was waking up for Jace when he went to ask him for his opinion and found him thrashing in his bed. Jace would always ask Alec to stay with him as he tried to fall back asleep.

"I know," Alec whispered. "I will. I always will."

**OKAY! That's the first chapter of ****_My Daughter, Rowan_****! Take 2, of course. I hope you guys enjoyed! ****_Please_**** review, follow and favorite! It would mean so much to get your feedback, especially on this!**

**Love you all!**

**-M**


	2. Chapter 2

**... sorry? I know! I said I would update faster but life just got in the way. As it turns out, the AP English course I'm taking has summer homework. Whoopee! That was sarcastic if you couldn't tell. ANyways, that and camp took up more of my time than I had initially anticipated. I planned to write at camp but HOLY SHIT! We did Into the Woods this year and that show is insane! Anyone familiar with musical theatre and/or Sondheim knows how insane and infamous his shows are for their crazy and complicated music. And we did the full version. Oof. It was amazing, nevertheless. Also, I got to fly out and see my 11-week old baby cousin. He is ****_such_**** a smush. Anyways, enough about me. Onto the story!**

It took Jace a few moments to remember what had happened the night before when he woke up the following morning. When he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with a sleeping Alec. Jace knew that to any outsider, their position might have looked strange. Nevertheless, it was comforting to him. The first time Alec had stayed with Jace after a nightmare, they'd woken up in the same position: laying, facing each other, with Jace's arm wrapped around Alec, his hand placed on the left side on his back, and Alec's hand placed on Jace's left shoulder. It took them a while to figure out why they continued to wake up in such a specific position. When they were around fifteen, they realized that their hands were placed over each other's parabatai runes.

Careful to not wake Alec, Jace climbed out of bed and left his room. On his way to the kitchen, he stopped at a blue door. As quietly as he could, Jace opened it. A small, blonde-haired boy was asleep in a full-size bed. Jace smiled. He slipped into the room, trying to let in as little light as possible. He didn't want to wake up his son before he needed to. He could be a very crabby eight-year-old. Everyone claimed he inherited from Jace, but he still refused to believe it.

Jace could still vividly remember how he and Clary picked out his name. Clary was sitting on a couch underneath a blanket and Jace was playing the piano. She always said it calmed her nerves, especially when she was pregnant.

"Jace?" Clary asked.

Jace stopped playing and turned to face her. "Yeah?"

Clary's cheeks reddened slightly. "I thought of a name. For the baby."

Jace forced himself to hold back a sigh. They had been going back and forth about a name for weeks, ever since they'd found out the baby was going to be a boy. He and Clary had dried out every book and website and still, nothing was decided. "What is it?" he asked.

"Jonathon."

She was quiet. So quiet that Jace almost didn't hear her at all. "Jonathon? I'm flattered, Clary."

Clary glared at him and threw one of the pillows by her feet at his head. He caught it easily and laughed. "Jace, I'm serious," Clary scolded, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it.

Jace walked over and got down on his knees beside her. "I'm sorry," he said, kissing her hand. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah," Clary replied. "I've been thinking about it for a while now, actually. I want his name to live on. My brother deserved better than what he got. I want to give him that."

Jace smiled at her and shook his head. "You are a much better person than I am, you know that? If he were my brother, I would have thrown him into the abyss."

Clary raised an eyebrow, though Jace could see the hint of a smile on her lips. "This is why we are naming him after my brother, Jonathon, and not you, Jonathon."

"Ha, ha," Jace replied. He stood up and leaned down to kiss her. "Jeez, Clare. If I have to keep bending down this far just to kiss you, I'm going to hurt my back."

Clary's eyes widened angrily at him. "You're going to hurt your back!? Are you kidding me? I'm the one carrying the baby, remember?"

Jace backed away, laughing. "I don't know. It's pretty hard."

"Oh, you are so dead," Clary growled as she climbed off the couch. Jace, however, just continued to laugh. She ran at him, which didn't help Jace's laughter. He'd never tell her, but he couldn't take her seriously when she tried to run while pregnant.

Jace caught her in his arms before she could hurt him. Carrying a baby or not, Clary could pack a punch. He leaned down before she could say anything and kissed her. He felt her anger dissipate as she gave in to the kiss. After a few seconds, they pulled back and Jace rested his forehead against Clary's. "Much better."

Jace smiled sadly at the memory. Missing her was easier to handle than it was right after she died, but it still hurt. When Clary told him that her dream about her death was just an image of Thule, he naively thought he would have her forever, that the threat had been evaded. He was wrong.

Jace leaned down to place a kiss on Jonathon's forehead. He was about to turn away when he heard his son rustle under the blankets. "Daddy?"

He loved hearing that. Jace never thought he would get used to hearing it. He never thought he'd get to hear it at all, not after Clary and Jace lost their daughter. Jace always had wanted to try again but he didn't want to pressure Clary into anything she wasn't comfortable with. When she came to him saying she still wanted a family with him, he was so happy.

"Hey, buddy," Jace whispered. "Sorry for waking you."

Jonathon yawned. "That's okay. I had to talk to you anyways. I came into your room last night but you were with Uncle Alec and I didn't want to wake you."

Jace stifled a groan. If Jonathon was awake at 4:00 in the morning, he'd need to nap in the afternoon so he wouldn't get crabby. Then, of course, he wouldn't fall asleep that night. It was a vicious cycle. "What did you want to talk about?"

Jonathon rubbed his eyes. "Can we make pancakes for breakfast?"

Jace laughed. He hadn't been expecting Jonathon to ask him that. "Sure. Hurry up and come downstairs. If you're fast, we can put chocolate chips in them."

Jonathon quickly hopped out of bed and started running to the kitchen. "I'm up!"

Laughing, Jace followed his son down the stairs. By the time he'd reached the kitchen, Jonathon was already getting out all the ingredients that he could reach. "Daddy, where are the chocolate chips?"

"Over here, buddy," Jace replied as he reached up to the top shelf.

Jonathon pouted. "Why are they so high up? I couldn't find them."

Jace raised an eyebrow. "That's the point. You'd eat them all if you could reach them."

"No, I wouldn't," Jonathon protested.

"If you promise to not eat all the chocolate chips, I'll leave them on the bottom shelf."

Jonathon's hands slid behind his back and he nodded. "I promise."

Jace stifled his laugh. "Hands?"

Jonathon's eyes widened and he looked down shamefully. He slowly moved his hands so Jace could see them. His index and middle fingers were crossed. "Sorry."

Jace ruffled Jonathon's hair. "It's okay, Jonny. Next time, just be honest with me, okay?"

Jonathon nodded solemnly. "Pancakes?" he asked, looking up at Jace through his long lashes.

"Yes," Jace sighed. "Pancakes."

A head poked out from the doorway. "Uncle Jace, are you making pancakes?"

Jace rolled his eyes and went to get a bowl for the batter. "Geez, Natalie. Is that all I'm good for?"

Natalie opened up the refrigerator and took out the eggs. "Of course not. You are good for all sorts of food. Mom can't cook, remember."

"I heard that," a female voice called. Isabelle entered the room, an eyebrow raised at her daughter. "And that's not fair. I've been practicing."

"You made a salad," Elliot, Natalie's twin brother, pointed out as he found a seat at the kitchen table.

Isabelle glared at her son. "Exactly. I made it. I followed the recipe and everything. And careful, you two," she said, gesturing to the twins. "As long as you live at the Institute, I can still take your phones.

Andrew, Natalie and Elliot's older brother, entered the kitchen. "It was a great salad, Mom."

Natalie and Elliot rolled their eyes as Isabelle replied, "Thank you, Andrew. That's why you're my favorite."

"What about me," Simon complained jokingly, close behind Andrew.

"Hmm, you're alright," Isabelle said, quickly kissing Simon when he reached her.

Jonathon covered his eyes. "Ew! Aunt Izzy, Uncle Simon, that's gross."

Jace laughed and pulled his son into his side. "Come here, Jonny. Leave your aunt and uncle alone and help me add the chocolate chips."

Once Jace was finally done making pancakes for everyone – cooking for seven people on your own takes time – they all sat down at the table for breakfast. Despite all the talking and chattering, the cautious looks that Isabelle and Simon had been giving Jace hadn't gone unnoticed.

A sharp poke on Jace's upper arm caught his attention. "What's up, buddy?"

"Can I train with Elliot and Andrew and Natalie today? Please?" Jonathon begged.

"We'll take good care of him, Uncle Jace," Natalie reassured jokingly. "Don't worry."

Jace exhaled. "Sure. But Jon, make sure you follow all their instructions. I don't want to find you in the infirmary later because you were goofing off, yeah?"

Jonathon raised his right hand to his forehead. "Sir, yes sir!"

Jace chuckled and stood to clear his and Jonathon's plates. They had watched a movie a while ago – Jace couldn't remember the name – where one of the characters mock-saluted to another. Jonathon didn't understand what it meant, or that it was being used condescendingly. He just thought it was a funny way to respond to someone.

"Did Alec come over last night?" Izzy asked. The kids had gone off to train and Simon had work to do, so Izzy offered to help Jace wash and dry the dishes.

"Yeah," Jace replied. There was an odd tension in the room that wasn't normally present when Isabelle and Jace were together.

"I guess he left before breakfast."

"Yeah. I guess."

Isabelle threw the towel on the counter and sighed. "Jace, can we cut the bullshit for a second? How are you? Really."

Jace put down the plate he was scrubbing and rinsed the soap off his hands. "I don't know. It... It's weird, Izzy. It's so weird every day. Certain things I still can't get over. You know how in the morning sometimes you wake up and you are so tired that you forget where you are or what happened the night before?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because every morning I forget that Clary isn't just in the bathroom or just checking on Jonathon, but that she's really dead and never coming back to bed –" Jace's voice broke off. He dropped his head to his hands. His shoulders were heaving as he took deep breaths and tried to keep himself from crying.

A delicate hand – Isabelle's hand – rested itself on Jace's shoulder and began to rub small, soothing circles. "I know. I miss her, too. She would be so proud of you and Jonathon. I'd bet she is now, looking down on you."

Jace chuckled, despite himself. He'd always been at arm's length with religion and the ideas of your loved ones "looking down on you", but after all the people he'd lost, especially Clary, he couldn't help but give in to the idea. "I guess."

Izzy squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Well, I don't 'guess'. I know. Now, come on. Come help me train the kids. They always love it when you come in and help."

Jace exhaled. He loved helping the kids train. "Okay. I'll be there in ten."

**Alrighty! That's it! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry again that it took so long to come out. I seriously am always in awe of the others that update really frequently and have this great schedule that they can stick to. I wish I could do that, but I unfortunately just don't have the time. Before I go, I just want to remind everyone that my PM box is always open. I try to check pretty frequently for messages. If anyone ever needs to talk about anything, or just rant, or whatever, I'm here. Anyway, don't forget to share, favorite, follow, review, etc. If anything, I'd prefer you guys review! I **_**love**_** hearing your feedback, positive or constructive. It really helps me figure out what is and isn't working and what you guys are enjoying. I know it may seem taxing, but even just a simple few words can really make a person's day. (Me. I'm that person.) **

**Love you all!**

**-M**


	3. Chapter 3

**HELLO! I'm so glad to be back with another update for this story. I'm sorry that this update took so long... 2 words: Junior. Year. Anyways, I've been loving rewriting this. I can tell it's going to be better (in my opinion, at least) than its predecessor. I hope you all agree. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be sure to read the author's note at the end, as it pertains to what the new update will look like and when it will come out. YOU ALL WILL PLAY A PART IN THAT!**

Jace quickly side-stepped around Andrew and swung his training sword around so the hilt knocked into his back, making his nephew stumble. They often used training swords when they were just doing more laid back, casual training. That and Jace didn't want Jonathon using real swords until he was more experienced and he didn't like feeling left out.

"I don't understand how I can never beat you," Andrew exclaimed. "I can barely get a hit in and I've been training for over ten years!"

Jace chuckled. "Andrew, I've taught you a lot of what you know so I can predict most of your moves."

Andrew scowled. "That's not fair."

"Sure it is," Jace replied smugly. He enjoyed ruffling Andrew's feathers. He could sometimes be uptight like his grandfather and Jace thought he needed to loosen up a bit. "And besides, I've been training for nearly twenty more years than you have. I have a bit more experience."

Isabelle stepped up next to Jace. "I remember how annoyed I always was when we were younger. I hated that you were better than me." She turned to Andrew. "Looking back, it was the best kind of training I could have asked for. It forced me to push myself harder and learn new tricks."

"Why couldn't you just tell us the different moves? Wouldn't we learn them a lot faster?" Natalie complained.

"Not necessarily," Elliot explained. "Most of the time the moves don't really sink in and become instinctual until you need them the most. We can tell you and tell you but it still won't do any good unless you use them. We're just saving time."

Natalie scowled at her twin brother. "I will break your glasses again if you keep being annoying."

Elliot threw his arms up in surrender. "I didn't do anything!"

Andrew laughed. "Don't worry about it, man. Alie's just mad because she knows your right."

Natalie sat down on a bench, pouting. "You guys suck."

Jonny scrambled over to his older cousin and sat next to her. Jace knew he loved watching his cousins fight. He had told him a few times how frustrating it was to be so much younger than his big cousins. He liked feeling like he was a part of the group. Natalie was always the most receptive.

"Yeah," Jonny. "You suck!"

Jace glared at his niece. "If he starts talking back to people, I'm blaming you. And you have figure out a way to get him to stop."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow. "You talked like that when you were only a little bit older. Remember Jace?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jace sighed. He lowered his voice "Besides, I want Jonny to turn out better than I did."

Isabelle laid a hand on Jace's shoulder. "He is and he will. She'd be so proud of you. Both of you."

"Hey, Dad?" Jonny asked tentatively.

Jace smiled and turned to him. "What's up, buddy?"

"Will you show me how to throw knives again?"

Jace chucked. "Sure, buddy. Come here."

Jace fell into his desk chair, laughing lightly. He had forgotten how much he loved just being with his family. Sometimes, he regretted accepting the position of being the head of the New Institute and the Conclave. He knew he had to support his family, but that didn't make missing out on time with them any easier.

A light knocking on his office door pulled Jace's attention. "Come in."

The door opened slightly and Natalie poked her head through the crack. "There was a small blip in the demon sensor. It wasn't too big and it only lasted a few minutes but –"

"You want to check it out anyway," Jace finished for her.

Natalie blushed, embarrassed. "Yeah."

Jace smiled and rolled his eyes. "Go tell the others. By the angel, it always surprises me that we aren't biologically related."

"Why?"

"You remind me of myself when I was your age. Always eager for danger and a good fight."

Natalie beamed and slipped back into the hallway. "Thanks, Uncle Jace," she called back.

Jace sighed and began to gather his gear. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"Goodnight, Jocelyn. Thanks again for taking Jonathon on such short notice," Jace said into his phone. He quickly hung up and slipped it back into his pocket. He turned to the group. "Okay, we should slip up into pairs. Alec and I will take the top two floors, Elliot and Natalie will take the next two, then Izzy and Simon, and Andrew and Rafe will take the main floor and the basement."

Everyone agreed and broke off to investigate. Alec and Jace had left the others after a few minutes of climbing the stairs and started poking through the worn-down building.

"Thanks for letting Rafe come tonight. He likes getting to train with his cousins. He sometimes feels awkward being older –"

"It's fine, Alec," Jace reassured. "Rafe is always welcome to come."

"Thanks, man. He'll be glad to hear –"

A crash interrupted Alec. Their heads snapped to the left, trying to find the source of the sound. It sounded like something heavy had fallen but they hadn't seen or heard anything so far that could have caused it. Careful to be quiet, the parabatai raised their weapons and started toward the hallway to the left.

There were several doors on either side. A few tables and chairs were scattered about, but nothing that was out of the ordinary for an old, run-down building.

"Oh, shit," Alec muttered. Jace turned to look at Alec standing a few doorways away. "Jace, you've got to see this."

Jace ran to look over Alec's shoulder. "By the angel, Alec. What... who is that?"

It was difficult to see because of the dark shadow that enveloped the corner of the room. Jace almost thought nothing was there. It was only after he did a double-take that he realized what was in the corner.

A young girl, looking no more than 13 years old, was huddled in the corner. Her hair was knotted and fell in front of her face. The clothes she wore were tattered and dirty and were spotted with something that looked suspiciously like blood. Jace's stomach knotted at the sight of her.

"Alec, go get the others. I'll meet you out front in fifteen minutes."

"But Jace –"

"Go," Jace said, a slight edge to his voice. Alec huffed and ran off to gather the others.

Upon closer inspection, the girl was probably older than 13; her small stature was misleading at first glance. The most Jace could tell from her eyes was that she was tired and scared but she didn't look at him long enough for him to make out a color. Through the dirt, strands of red and blonde were visible. What pained Jace most of all, though, was her shivering. The night air was chilly but he didn't think it warranted the response she was giving. He didn't want to know how long she'd been out and alone in the cold. The thought that she might be a demon crossed his mind briefly but the way she held herself and the look in her eyes was too difficult to fake.

Jace crouched down about a foot away from her, reaching out his hand. "Hey. Are you okay? Can I call someone? Do you need some help?"

The girl flinched away, eyeing his weapons nervously. Jace had a sneaking suspicion he knew where all the bruises and blood had come from. He quickly undid his weapons belt and threw it off to the side. He gave her a soft smile and held out his hand again. "Better? Will you let me help you now?"

The girl eyed his hand warily before allowing him to pull her to her feet. She stumbled like she had stood up to fast or hadn't eaten in a while. Jace didn't want to rush her for fear that she would pass out if she moved too fast but he didn't want to stay in the building longer than they had to. Just because they hadn't found any demons didn't mean there weren't any.

"I think we should start by getting you some medical attention. Some of those cuts and bruises look like they aren't healing right. Then we can try and find your parents. Okay?"

The girl didn't say anything. Instead, she gave Jace a fleeting glace which he took as confirmation that she heard him.

"Um, okay," Jace continued, unsure of how to respond to the girl's silence. "Oh. By the way, I'm Jace."

**Okay! That was the chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed! Now, onto the important part of the author's note I mentioned above:**

**1) I need some help. I want to change Rowan's name. No offense to those in the world named Rowan, but I just don't feel like it fits the character I'm writing/want to write. The problem is that I absolutely SUCK at picking names. Like it's a real problem. There's just so many to choose from! (Fellow authors, you know what I mean.) Anyways, I was hoping you guys would leave me some name options for me to choose from in the reviews. That way I can have a smaller, less overwhelming selection to choose from and will hopefully pick a name faster. I want to use her name in the next chapter and since I'm on winter break right now, that should come soon. I just need your help picking a name. Thanks!**

**2) What do you guys think of the new version of the story so far? I know we are only on chapter 3, but still. I'm trying to include more familial fluff, you know? Is it reading right? Do you guys like the slower pace the plot is moving at? Please let me know in the review I'm sure you'll leave me! *sarcasm***

**Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-M**


	4. Chapter 4

**(THIS IS THE FIXED UPDATE!)**

**I'm sorry.**

Jace didn't know how long he'd been sitting in his office chair, staring at the wall. Isabelle had taken the girl off to get cleaned up. Everyone else went to go put all their weapons away and settle down for the night. If he was being honest, Jace felt like he was in some sort of limbo. He felt more deeply for her than he felt he should have. He didn't know her, after all. She very well could have just been a runaway in the wrong place at the right time. His glamour probably just wore off and that's why she could see all his weapons.

At least, that's what he tried to convince himself of.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Jace was afraid. He didn't like not being in control, not knowing what was happening when or how or with who. And now, with a new person who he knew nothing about coming into his home, living with his family, it made him uneasy, to say the least.

A knock on the door pulled Jace from his thoughts. The door opened a crack and Alec poked his head in. "Can I come in?"

Jace nodded and Alec slipped inside, careful to not make too much noise. The Institute was big, but most of the rooms they inhabited were in similar hallways. It was already late.

"Are you okay?" Alec asked.

Jace faltered as he sat down. "Yeah, just a little tired. You?"

Alec raised an eyebrow at his parabatai. "Nice try. You're not getting out of this. What's going on?"

Jace let out a laugh. "You really suck sometimes, you know that? I don't know, Alec. Something just feels off. But it's not a bad off, and that's what's bothering me."

Alec paused before replying. "You know, Jace, you're allowed to feel things. I mean, I know you feel things, but I mean the scary ones. The ones about Clary and Aliyah and the fear of losing Jonathon... those feelings are okay, too. And I know seeing that girl tonight freaked you out because I know she made you think of Lexie. I don't need to be your parabatai to know that. I'm your brother, Jace. Talk to me."

It took Jace some time to reply. "She always said it made her sound like a princess. Elegant and beautiful and unique. Just like she was. Or, like she would have been."

Alec leaned forward and took Jace's hand in his own. "Just talk to her. Iz tried to hand her some pajamas and she flinched. Not like she was startled and Izzy's hand surprised her or something. Really flinched.

Jace felt his stomach tighten at Alec's words. He didn't want to imagine what made the girl respond like that. "Okay."

Alec looked at Jace. "What?"

Jace locked eyes with his parabatai. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

By the time Jace reached the door to the girl's room, Jace wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her anymore. It wasn't that he didn't care about her or her well-being. He just wasn't sure he knew what to say or do. He, for a split second, wished he'd asked Isabelle to try talking to her again. She had experience in the teenage girl department, at least.

Jace knocked lightly on the wooden door. He didn't hear a response. He knocked again, a bit louder this time. Still, it was dead silent. Jace wondered for a moment if he was at the wrong room.

"Hey, it's Jace. Er, uh, the blonde man who brought you here? I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay." After another silent pause, Jace continued. "Okay, well, um, I'm just gonna go, then. As long as you don't seem to need anything... I'm the room four doors down on the right. Just knock."

Jace went to leave when he heard the door creak open. He turned to see the girl's eyes peeking through a crack in the door, staring at him.

"Oh. Hey." Jace scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Can I come in?"

For a moment, Jace thought the girl hadn't heard him, as neither her expression nor her stance changed in the slightest. Before Jace could ask again though, she moved to the side and opened the door just enough so he could slip through.

Jace stood in the middle of the room, watching the girl as she stood at the doorway, tense. The door was now closed, though Jace wasn't sure if that made her more likely to open up to him or less.

"We can open the door... if you want," Jace offered. She didn't reply. "Okay," Jace muttered to himself.

The silence felt like it stretched on forever when it really only had been a few seconds. Jace had to fight every urge inside himself to not run away. He didn't like awkward situations, especially with children. Jonny was easy. He never left the time for awkward silence. He was always telling stories and playing pretend. Jace was learning fast that his luck had not equipped him well for dealing with quieter, less enthusiastic young people.

"My name is Jace," he tried. "Oh, but you already knew that, I guess. What's your name?"

The girl didn't reply but Jace thought he could see a faint pinkness cover her cheeks. Her eyes, which had continued occasionally glancing at Jace every few seconded, now stayed glued to the pastel green fuzzy socks she was wearing.

"Do you have a name?" Jace asked warily. He was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. He didn't know what to say or what to do to make this girl, at the very least, acknowledge him. He was worried about her, about how unsettled she seemed.

The girl glanced up at Jace. She looked sad and afraid. "I don't know," she replied so softly that Jace almost had to lean in to hear her.

Jace had to fight the urge to appear taken aback. He didn't want to make the girl feel more uncomfortable or more ashamed than she already was. "Oh. Oh. Um, okay. Well, um, do you want one?"

"What?"

"Well, we're going to need something to call you? Do you want a name?"

The girl's breathing picked up and her eyes filled with tears. She nodded imperceptibly, the movement quickly growing.

Jace smiled at her, proud. "Okay. Great. Any ideas?"

Her eyes widened. "I don't... I can't... no."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Jace reassured. "Why don't we start with Jane? I know the mundanes use it for unidentified people. You can have it until you figure out who you are."

"Jane," the girl said like she was tasting the name on her tongue. "Pretty."

Jace smiled and started leaving the room, "Why don't you get some sleep? It's been a long night. I'm sure you're tired."

Jane smiled at him. "Okay."

Right as Jace was closing the door, he heard his name. "Jace!"

"Yeah?"

Jane gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

**Like I said at the top, I'm sorry. I know it's been _forever_ since I've updated, and that isn't fair to you guys (if anyone's still here, that is). On the bright side, I finally made my school's musical! It was just the absolute most amazing feeling in the world to make it after three years of NOTHING. It just goes to show that, even after 10 unsuccessful auditions, you should still keep working hard and trying your best. I know how hard I worked and to have it pay off was so relieving and exhilarating. Granted, I know none of you probably care about that. I'm just telling you because a) it's important to me and I like sharing things with you guys, and b) it ran from January til the beginning of March so I had _no_ time to write. I don't write until my schoolwork is done and when I'm losing 3-6 hours a day, sometimes 7, it just doesn't give me a lot of time to write. **

**I also wanted to address the last post I made, _Idk_. I'm sorry for publishing that. It isn't my place to word-vomit all my problems onto everyone. I'm on this site to write and to entertain. You all shouldn't be my therapists. Granted, that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate all the kind and supportive comments. I have depressive episodes sometimes. They suck ass. However, that isn't to say that if one of you needs to talk, I'm not here for each and every one of you. I'm here to write and entertain, yes, but I also want to be a friend. If someone needs something, I _beg_ you to reach out. I _want_ to help you and be there for you guys. Leave a comment, send me a PM, whatever it may be. I want to be here for you. All of you. **

**LAST THING, I swear. STAY HOME! I understand that this is a scary and frustrating time for everyone. However, that doesn't give me, you, or anyone else the right to blatantly ignore the government. (I don't love our president, but the WHO and CDC are SMART ORGANIZATIONS! He's telling you to stay home because _they_ are telling you to stay home.) Basically, you not wanting to social distance is your opinion. However, when I or another family member goes to the store, someone could contaminate us. Why would you purposely risk your life or your family members' lives? I saw a news segment about a 5-year-old who died. All I'm saying is people are allowed to risk their own lives. That's their right. But it's not right or fair or _humane_ to take away someone else's right to _live_. Their life. Their body. Their health. _Their choice. _STAY HOME PLEASE! (I understand some people still are working or have to go to the grocery store. If that's is the case, please take the necessary precautions like a mask and gloves and/or whatever else your place of work requires. ILY!)**

**Okay, I think that's enough rambling for today. Sorry again for the long wait. I'm hoping things will move faster now that I have more free time. Don't forget to follow, favorite, share, comment, and most importantly, STAY SAE AND HEALTHY!**

**I love you all SO MUCH!**

**-M**

**P.S. One of you put my name down for what you thought Jace's daughter's name should be. You spelled differently, but I just thought it was funny! **


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